The present invention relates to an improved resin ski boot, and more particularly relates to improvement in a resin ski boot having a rigid resin shell adapted for accommodating an inner boot which is in direct contact with wearer's foot and leg.
Such a conventional resin ski boot in general has the following basic construction. A rigid shell for accommodating an inner boot includes a lower section covering a wearer's instep and an upper section covering the front half of a wearer's leg. A pair of pivots are formed on opposite sides of the lower section near the lower and rear corner thereof and a rearcuff, which is adapted for covering the rear half of the wearer's leg, is turnably mounted near its lower and fore corner to the pivots on the lower section of the shell. Thus, the rearcuff is turnable forwards and rearwards about the pivots. The shell and the rearcuff are secured together by a locker mechanism extending between the two components. A pad is arranged within the shell at a position facing the wearer's instep and a tensioner is arranged on the rear face of the rearcuff. The pad and the tensioner are connected to each other by a wire and this wire engages with a seat formed on the lower section of the shell near the above-described pivot.
Resin ski boots of such a basic construction are disclosed in Japanese Patent Openings Nos. Sho.52-118360, Sho.59-137001 and Sho.60-225502.
A resin ski boot is in general required to satisfy the following functional demands.
First, the rearcuff is often released during walking. Possible slack on wire in this state would cause unstable condition of the wearer's foot in the ski boot and hamper smooth walking. In order to prevent this trouble, the wire should be maintained tight even when the rearcuff is released during walking.
Second, when the wearer's leg is inclined forwards during skiing, the heel tends to lift from the bottom of the shell. In order to correct this, the wire should be arranged to firmly hold the wearer's foot under this condition.
In the above-described Japanese Patent Opening No. Sho.52-118360, the seat for the wire is located downwards and rearwards of the pivot for the rearcuff. Due to such a location of the seat for the wire, slack appears on the wire when the rearcuff is released. That is, the ski boot of this prior art does not satisfy the first functional demand. In the construction of the ski boot of Japanese Patent Opening No. Sho.59-13001, the location of the seat for the wire overlaps that of the pivot for the rearcuff and, due to such a positioning the wire is not fastened when the wearer's leg is inclined forwards. Thus, the ski boot of this prior art does not satisfy the second functional demand. The seat for the wire of the ski boot of Japanese Patent Opening No. Sho.60-225502 is located right above the pivot for the rearcuff and, as such, slack appears on the wire when the wearer's leg is inclined forwards. The ski boot of this prior art does not again satisfy the second functional demand.
As is clear from the foregoing, none of the ski boots of the prior art concurrently satisfy the above-described first and second functional demands.